FarmFan

Turn Occasional Farmers Market Customers into Committed Shoppers

Think about those customers that come to the market 3-4 times a year. Why don't they come every week? Life gets in the way.
They forget. It's raining. There are lots of reasons.

These customers are a huge opportunity. They want to support local farms and they want vibrant markets in their community, but they still spend a majority of their
food dollars at the grocery store because it's easier. How much will your sales increase if you can get these customers out to the market twice as often through the season?

Facebook and email are great marketing tools, but it's not enough and Facebook gets more expensive every year.

We can help you connect with these customers and the rest of your customers with our FarmFan app. Have your customers opt-in to get a text message an hour
before the market and then check in at the market to get loyalty rewards.

Text messages are a bit magical because the open rate is 97% within 3 minutes of sending, so we can reach your customers at the exact moment when they are deciding to come to the market or not.

From a market manager who used FarmFan in 2014..

"FarmFan was fantastic. We were really surprised at people's reactions to it. People love being a part of something, like it was a special club - 'Yeah, I'm a FarmFan' - they really bought into that. The weekly reminder, from a practical perspective, made a huge difference for folks at our Wednesday afternoon market. They can plan all week to come to the market, and forget or go home a different way, or get caught in a meeting. People would come to us and say that they would have forgotten to come to the market without the reminder."-Karen Bryla Mcnees, Market Manager, Lexington Market at University of Kentucky

But how does it work?

1. Customers sign up

Customers opt-in to get a message on your website with our slick pop-up widget, through social media, from your email list, or at the market.

2. Schedule a text message

Send a 160-character message and optionally a photo to your FarmFans. If you don't schedule it ahead of time,
FarmFan will send you a text message reminder and you can send your message just by replying by text.

3. Message Delivered to FarmFans

Your message is delivered to your customers in the hours before the market, right when they are making the decision of whether
to come to market that day!

4. Check-in passcode

Each market day has it's own passcode like "tomato". It is texted to you at market opening time. Write this on a whiteboard or tell it
to customers as they make purchases. Your choice.

5. FarmFans check in

FarmFans simply text the passcode back to the message they got earlier in the day and they are checked in for possible rewards!
No extra work for you.

6. FarmFans keep coming back!

This combination of real-time notifications and rewards keeps customers engaged and coming back week after week.

Pricing

Only pay for what you use. Pricing is based on how many FarmFans you have (in other words, how many customers sign up). You are only charged during months
when you send messages to your FarmFans, so you pay nothing during the off-season.

Either pay-as-you go or, if you expect high usage, buy a package. Switch plans at any time.

Pay as you go

$0.25 / FarmFan / month

For example, if you have 1000 people coming to your market each week and 20% of them sign up for FarmFan, you have 200 FarmFans. During months when you send messages you
will pay $50/month and nothing during the off-season.

Packages

For larger markets with more FarmFans, a package will save money versus pay-as-you-go. Choice of paying month-by-month or the full year. Yearly plans get 25% off (3 months free)!

Monthly packages are only charged during months when you send FarmFan messages, so you do not pay during the off-season. Yearly plans continue year-round. Any overage is charged at the pay-as-you-go rate.

FarmFan Features

What does FarmFan do for you?

Text Messages to Customers

Text messages have a 97% open rate within 3 minutes, so text messages reach your customers at that exact moment when they are deciding whether to come to the market. This is especially important when you have a new product, not-so-sunny weather, or other special message that you need to get to market customers.

Check-ins, Loyalty, & Rewards

Allow customers to check in at the market, collect points, and receive rewards. We'll help you figure out rewards for your situation, but you can design a rewards program however you like. One great idea is to have "event-based" rewards, for example if a customer checks in 10 times through the season they get an invite to an end-of-season V.I.P cook-out!

Reminder right before the market.

If you do not schedule your FarmFan update ahead of time, the app will send you a reminder by text message two hours before the market starts. Then, simply respond to the text message to send your update. This means you can't forget to send your update for each market!

Facebook and Twitter integration

Optionally, connect the FarmFan app with your Facebook and Twitter accounts so FarmFan updates are automatically copied to your social media profiles, including links to sign up as a FarmFan. This is a way to turn online interest (such as Facebook "likes") into actual customers at the market.

Website sign up widget

Integrate an attractive pop-up widget on your main website that turns your website visitors into FarmFans and then into customers!

Send a photo along with text message updates

Optionally, include a photo with each text message. You can even take a picture on the go on at the market and send your update message with photo simply by texting it in to the FarmFan app!

Rewards can be monetary, such as "accumulate 10 check-ins and get $10 off your next order", or they can be more fun!
Event-based rewards can be very compelling, such as, have a V.I.P. farm tour and cook-out for any customers
that accumulates 10 check-ins.

Who Uses it?

FarmFan has helped farmers market vendors, retail farm stands, and whole markets sell more since January 2014.
Here's what some of our early users say:

Nathan Holmes
Clarion River Organics
Pittsburgh, PA

"The beauty of FarmFan is that it is really flexible. Any business that is looking to capture that relationship
with customers and any business that finds value in repeat customers will find value in it.

"I think we underestimate the fact that all grocery chains and gas stations have this sort of program. People are
used to it and people are looking for it as recognition and validation of how they shop.

"We were trying to find some way to capture those people that love to support us at the farm markets and
we value their relationship. Once they leave, you don't have any to thank them or a way to pull them back in,
so FarmFan fills that for us."

"Customers that like our farm LOVE farm fan.. They see it as a way of making local businesses and supporting local farmers
and buying good food and getting prizes as a win-win. The software is ridiculously simple to use!

"For the amount of actual applicants we have they are SOOOOOOOO enthusiastic about running up their Farm Fan points. I think it's a game to them.
I swear I think they are thinking, 'How high can I go?'"

Colleen Hotchkiss
Veggielution Farm Stand
San Jose, CA

"The most important feature for us so far is the weekly texts to customers - many have told me that they
really appreciate getting reminded to come to the stand, and like to know what we have available before they show up.
This aspect has been awesome for us! (and i love getting prompted on saturday morning to send out the text -- really convenient for me)"

Let us demonstrate..

About FarmFan

Meet the people that build, manage, and support FarmFan.

Why FarmFan?

FarmFan was conceived at Small Farm Central in Fall 2013 as an answer to the question, "How can farms utilize mobile technology in marketing?"
Farmers markets are such a wonderful opportunity for farms and an asset to communities, but to be viable, farms
must make a profit selling their goods. FarmFan seeks to close the gap between farm and customer.

Simon Huntley

Founder, Small Farm Central

Simon started Small Farm Central in 2006 to serve the technology needs of farmers. He grew up
on a small farm in the hills of south-western Pennsylvania and later helped manage a produce
operation in western Colorado that sold through CSA and farmers markets. Outside of work, Simon
runs after his 3-year-old son, Eliot, and enjoys exploring fermented foods in the kitchen.

About FarmFan

FarmFan is an app built by Small Farm Central. We're passionate about thriving farmers markets and farmers.